Backpacking Gates of the Arctic

The Brooks range, which overlaps to a great extent with Gates of the Arctic National Park, is so vast that each of its mountains have a different character, however the Arrigetch Peaks area, a place of gothic black granite spires and pinnacles reaching haphazardly into the clouds, is considered by many to be the most spectacular part. Shosh Moalem and I flew into the frontier town of Bettles, then used an air taxi to be dropped off and picked up at Circle Lake. In eight days, we backpacked to a base camp near the Arrigetch Peaks, and explored three of the surrounding valleys. Our timing of mid-August let us admire the dazzling splendor of the tundra in fall colors. See also the scenic pictures of Gates of the Arctic National Park.

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